List of Stanley Cup Finals broadcasters
The following is a list of the television and radio networks/stations (American, Canadian and French Canadian) and announcers that have broadcast Stanley Cup Finals series over the years. American Television National Television 2010s Notes * 2014 – In the United States, NBC televised Games 1 and 2, NBCSN broadcast games 3 and 4, while NBC televised the remaining games. NBC Sports originally planned to repeat its coverage pattern from the last few seasons: NBCSN would televise game 2 and 3, while NBC would broadcast Game 1, and then games 4–7, so that every potential Stanley Cup clinching game will air on NBC. After the League scheduled Game 2 on the day of the 2014 Belmont Stakes, coverage of games 2 and 4 were switched so NBC's telecast of the horse race would serve as lead-in programming to Game 2. * NBC and NBCSN will televise the Stanley Cup Finals through 2021. 2000s Notes * As part of NBC's coverage, Pierre McGuire, while positioned as the "Inside-the-Glass" reporter, provides color commentary from his vantage point - known as "Inside-the-Glass". * 2005: Had the season not been canceled, ESPN would have televised the Games 1 and 2 and NBC Games 3–7. 1990s Notes * From 1995–1999, FOX split coverage of Stanley Cup Finals with ESPN. Game 1 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals was the first Finals game shown on network television since 1980 and the first in prime time since 1973. FOX was usually scheduled to televise Games 1, 5, and 7; ESPN airs Games 2, 3, 4, and 6 . However, from 1995 to 1998, the Finals were all 4 game sweeps; 1999 ended in 6 games. The consequence was that – except for 1995, when Fox did televise Game 4 - the decisive game was never on network television. Perhaps in recognition of this, Games 3–7 were always televised by ABC in the succeeding broadcast agreement between the NHL and ABC Sports. 1980s Notes * 1989 - SportsChannel's coverage aired on PRISM in the Philadelphia area. SportsChannel Philadelphia did not launch until January 1990. Both SportsChannel and PRISM were owned by Rainbow Media. * 1980 - Games 1-5 on Hughes used CBC's feed. For CBS' coverage of Game 6 (which served as a special edition of the CBS Sports Spectacular anthology series), Dan Kelly did play-by-play for 1st and 3rd periods as well as overtime. Meanwhile, Tim Ryan did play-by-play for the second period. Minnesota North Stars' general manager Lou Nanne provided color commentary for the entire game. This was the last time that a National Hockey League game would be broadcast on American network television for 10 years (until the 1990 NHL All-Star Game aired on NBC), and the Stanley Cup Finals game on broadcast-network television until 1995. 1970s Notes * In 1979, ABC was contracted to televise Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Since the Finals ended in 5 games, the contract was void. * Starting in the 1978 playoffs, NHL Network began simulcasting many games with Hockey Night in Canada. This happened in Game 7 of the quarter-final series between Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders. The entire 1979 Stanley Cup Finals between Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers was simulcast as well. * The 1976 Stanley Cup Finals on the NHL Network marked the first time that the NHL's championship series was nationally televised in its entirety in the United States. ** Stan Mikita, Garry Unger, Chico Resch, and Curt Bennett did 1 game each as analyst alongside Marv Albert, all were active players at the time. * 1971 - CBS was not scheduled to broadcast Game 7, but showed the prime time contest after thousands of viewers called the network asking that it be broadcast. The game was blacked out in Chicago, as well as in much of the Midwest, in deference to theater TV. * In 1970, Pat Summerall and then-Boston Bruins' TV announcer Don Earle did a short post-game segment from inside the team's dressing room at the end of CBS' coverage of game 4 (and what turned out to be the final game) of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals. WSBK-38, which was the team's the Bruins' TV flagship then, simulcast the CBS coverage and did a longer post-game locker-room segment after CBS' coverage ended. 1960s Local Television (United States) 1990s Notes * Games 4 and 5 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals was broadcast in the New York City area on MSG II because of MSG Network's commitment with the New York Yankees. 1994 was also the last time that local broadcasting of playoff games past the first two rounds was allowed. 1980s 1970s 1960s American Local/National Coverage Policy for Stanley Cup Finals * 1995–present: National coverage (network and cable) exclusive. * 1981–1994: Local coverage permitted for all games. National coverage (cable) not exclusive. * 1976–1980: National coverage on syndicated networks exclusive. * 1968–1975: Local coverage permitted for non-network games. National network telecasts exclusive. Canadian Television National Television 2010s Notes * From 2010–2014, the Hockey Night in Canada i-Desk was contributed by Elliotte Friedman, Andi Petrillo, Jeff Marek, and Scott Morrison. * 2014 was the last year under the league's current Canadian TV contracts with CBC (English broadcasts of the Finals) and the cable network TSN (English broadcasts), and RDS (French broadcasts). The NHL's twelve-year contract with Rogers Communications then took effect beginning next season, with English-language national coverage of the Finals being sub-licensed to CBC, and French-language telecasts being sub-licensed to TVA Sports. TSN will only be showing regional games for Toronto, Ottawa and Winnipeg starting the fall of 2014. * The Stanley Cup Finals will be televised by CBC through 2018. 2000s 1990s Notes * 1997 - Ron MacLean did not host Games 2 and 3 as he was attending the funeral of Don Cherry's wife, Rose. 1980s Notes * Game 4 (May 24) of the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals is well known for fog that interfered with the game and a power outage that caused its cancellation before a faceoff. The game ended with the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins tied at 3–3. CBC televised the first Game 4 as well as game 5 (on May 26), for which the Oilers won 6–3. * Even though CTV decided to pull the plug on their 2 year-old (lasting from 1984–85 through 1985–86) NHL broadcasting venture with the Carling O'Keefe brewing company (citing low ratings and an inability to clear other programming for both regular season and playoff telecasts), Carling O'Keefe retained their rights. This soon led to them syndicating 1987 and 1988 playoff telecasts on a chain of channels that would 1 day become the Global Television Network. The Global Television Network broadcasts were aired under the names Stanley Cup '87 and Stanley Cup '88, before a merger between Carling O'Keefe and Molson (the presenters of Hockey Night in Canada on CBC) put an end to the competition. ** Contrary to the broadcasts from the previous CTV deal (in which they split the Stanley Cup Finals coverage with CBC), the Canwest-Global telecasts were network exclusive, except for Game 7 of the 1987 Finals. When CBC and Canwest-Global televised game 7, they used separate production facilities and separate on-air talent. ** In 1988, Canwest-Global had the rights to the games 6 and 7 of the Finals, which ultimately, were not necessary. * For the 1984–85 and 1985–86 seasons, CTV aired regular season games on Friday nights (and some Sunday afternoons) as well as partial coverage of the playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals. While Molson continued to present Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights on CBC, rival brewery Carling O'Keefe began airing Friday Night Hockey on CTV. This marked the first time since beginning broadcasting in 1952 that CBC was not the lone over-the-air network broadcaster of the Stanley Cup Finals in Canada. From 1967 through 1975, both CBC and CTV aired NHL games, but it was from a Molson-led Hockey Night in Canada package that was split. CBC got the Saturday games and the playoffs; Wednesday-night regular-season games appeared on CTV. * In 1986, CBC only televised Games 1 and 2 in Montreal and Calgary. CBC televised Games 3–5 nationally. When CTV televised Games 1 and 2, both games were blacked out in Montreal and Calgary. Had the series gone to a Game 7, then both CBC and CTV would have televised it while using their own production facilities and crews. * In 1985, CBC televised Games 1 and 2 nationally while Games 3–5 were televised in Edmonton only. CTV televised Games 3–5 nationally while games were blacked out in Edmonton. 1970s Notes * In 1972, Hockey Night in Canada moved all playoff coverage from CBC to CTV (in actuality, MacLaren Advertising, Ltd., the actual rights holders of HNIC at the time, worked out arrangements with CTV to move the full NHL playoffs there) to avoid conflict with the lengthy NABET strike against the CBC. 1960s Notes * The 1961 Stanley Cup Finals were almost not televised in Canada at all. At that time, the CBC only had rights to the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs' games; home games only during the season and all games in the playoffs. However, with both the Canadiens and Maple Leafs eliminated in the semi-finals, the CBC's worst nightmare became reality. The CBC had to conceive a way to carry the Finals between the Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Red Wings or face public revolt. According to lore, the CBC found a way to link their Windsor viewers as having a vested interest in the Finals with the across the river Red Wings. Thus, CBC was able to carry the series after inking special contracts with the Red Wings and Black Hawks as a service to the Windsor market. From Windsor, CBC linked the signal to Toronto and they relayed the coverage Dominion-wide. From there, Canadians were able to see the Finals with nary a glitch in the coverage. CBC's broadcast of the sixth and climatic game was simulcast on WGN-TV Chicago; the station would begin broadcasting Chicago Blackhawks road games on a regular basis that Fall. * 1966 - To accommodate the American TV coverage on NBC (1966 marked the first time that a Stanley Cup Finals game was to be nationally broadcast on American network television), Game 1 of the Finals was shifted to a Sunday afternoon. This in return, was the first time ever that a National Hockey League game was played on a Sunday afternoon in Montreal. While Games 1 and 4 of the NBC broadcasts were televised in color, CBC carried these games and all other games in black and white. 1950s Notes * 1954 - CBC's coverage of Games 3–5 were joined in progress at 9:30 p.m. (approximately one hour after start time). Meanwhile, CBC joined Game 6 in at 10 p.m. (again, one hour after start time). Game 7 was carried Dominion wide (nationwide) from opening the face off at 9 p.m. Since Game 7 was played on Good Friday night, there were no commercials (Imperial Oil was the sponsor). Local Television (Canada) 1980s